Using humor and storytelling to bring complex research on neurodegenerative diseases to wider audiences, neuroscientist Verena Dzialas is a hit both on stage and in the lab. At Cologne’s University Hospital, the young researcher studies early motor impairments using a computer game inside an MRI scanner. Her mix of clarity, passion and comedy won her the 2025 Science Slam Championship in Düsseldorf, where she impressed the audience with insights into Alzheimer’s, strokes and the mysteries of the brain.